01
Physical geography
Mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little flat land.
Local timeCharlotte Amalie ·
North America / Caribbean · Card 037
US Virgin Islands
The US Virgin Islands are a US territory in the northeastern Caribbean. The capital is Charlotte Amalie.
Find US Virgin Islands
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Charlotte Amalie
- Languages
- English
- Currency
- United States dollar (USD)
- Population
- 103,7922025 · World Bank
- Area
- 347 km²133.98 square miles
- US territory
- 1917Purchased from Denmark.
US Virgin Islands in context
North America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Charlotte Amalie; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include English.
03
Location
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico.
Flag
White field with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large blue initials "V" and "I"; the coat of arms shows a yellow eagle holding an olive branch in its right talon and three arrows in its left, with a shield of seven red and six white vertical stripes below a blue panel
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · US Virgin Islands · Revised Organic Act
History & status
The islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John and Saint Croix were Danish colonies with plantation economies based on enslaved labor. Slavery was abolished in 1848. The United States purchased the islands from Denmark in 1917. They remain an unincorporated US territory with local self-government.
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Slavery is abolished under Danish rule
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The islands transfer from Denmark to the United States
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The Revised Organic Act defines territorial government
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · US Virgin Islands · Revised Organic Act
Economy
Main activities
Tourism, retail, public administration and rum production are important activities. Energy and many other goods are imported. Refining has a significant industrial history, but activity has varied and should not be assumed to represent current production.
Industry and production
Tourism, retail, government services and rum distilling are important activities.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · US Virgin Islands · Revised Organic Act
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Thousands of people103.82025 · thousands of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Thousands of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 63,476 | 63.476 |
| 1980 | 99,636 | 99.636 |
| 1990 | 103,963 | 103.963 |
| 2000 | 108,642 | 108.642 |
| 2010 | 108,357 | 108.357 |
| 2020 | 106,290 | 106.290 |
| 2025 | 103,792 | 103.792 |
Real GDP, 2002–2022
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars3.92022 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 4,688,209,979 | 4.688 |
| 2003 | 4,669,640,875 | 4.670 |
| 2004 | 4,823,080,309 | 4.823 |
| 2005 | 4,991,179,562 | 4.991 |
| 2006 | 5,166,120,064 | 5.166 |
| 2007 | 5,373,312,166 | 5.373 |
| 2008 | 5,438,792,689 | 5.439 |
| 2009 | 5,080,115,795 | 5.080 |
| 2010 | 5,110,412,753 | 5.110 |
| 2011 | 4,691,141,942 | 4.691 |
| 2012 | 3,996,266,542 | 3.996 |
| 2013 | 3,745,094,984 | 3.745 |
| 2014 | 3,678,637,140 | 3.679 |
| 2015 | 3,663,000,000 | 3.663 |
| 2016 | 3,721,639,274 | 3.722 |
| 2017 | 3,694,274,280 | 3.694 |
| 2018 | 3,763,664,088 | 3.764 |
| 2019 | 3,873,124,066 | 3.873 |
| 2020 | 3,810,575,507 | 3.811 |
| 2021 | 3,950,332,444 | 3.950 |
| 2022 | 3,898,534,418 | 3.899 |
Government
An unincorporated US territory with an elected Governor and a single-chamber Legislature. A Delegate represents the territory in the US House of Representatives with limited voting rights. Federal authority remains with the United States.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · US Virgin Islands · Revised Organic Act
Knowledge check
Three questions about US Virgin Islands.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
From which country did the United States purchase these islands in 1917?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · US Virgin Islands · Revised Organic Act
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.